Blog

Sir Ron at Televised Town Hall Meeting in Grenada November 26

Sir Ron participated in a Televised Town Hall Meeting in Grenada on Saturday Novermber 26, 2016. Below is a recording of what he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMIyA1DF_S0

The Dignity of the Obamas.

Tuesday 29 November 2016

A new Commentary has been added, entitled: The Dignity of the Obamas. It argues that already as the Obamas prepare to leave the White House millions of people the world over feel an acute sense of loss. Barack Obama brought great intellectual capacity and charisma to the US Presidency. His two terms improved the American economy, kept the country free from foreign attacks and gave it a more benevolent face across the globe. Above all else he and his wife Michelle gave the positions they occupied a compeilling dignity despite all the odds. They have given America a glimpse of all that it can be; and in doing so much good has been established and will be difficult to destroy.

The Obamas

A previous commentary is: In a crowded field for Trump's attention, the Caribbean must get into the game. It argues that the US has chosen its President and its Congressional representatives in accordance with its Constitution and its laws. That deal is done. This is not a time for hand-wringing and lamentation; it is a time for engagement, persuasion and negotiation in the region’s interest. The field will be crowded. Every Ambassador in Washington, DC; the majority of Heads of Government and Ministers of every country will be seeking to do the same. Constrained by small Embassies and limited budgets, Caribbean countries will find the competition for the Trump administration’s attention to be daunting. But, too much is at stake to hold back from the critical and crucial work that has to be done.

US President-elect Donald Trump

Commonwealth Round Table on: What after Brexit?

Monday 21 November 2016

For a report by Debbie Ransome on a Commonwealth Round Table discussion on "What's next after Brexit", See: See: Lectures section of this website

Latest News

Saturday 8 October 2016

Sir Ronald meets former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien

On 13 September 2016, the Organisation of American States commemorated the 15th anniversary of the Inter-American Democratic Charter in the presence of three former Heads of Government from Canada, Guatemala and Peru. As a member of "The Friends of the Democratic Charter", a group of former Heads of Government, senior diplomats and judges, headed by former US President, Jimmy Carter, Sir Ronald was pleased to meet again the former Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chretien at the occasion. Photo below shows: Luis Almagro, Secretary-General of the OAS (centre) and Jean Chretien (right).

New commentaries have been added. Please see "Commentaries" section.

A previous comnentary looks at a meerting of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States held on 30 March to discuss the unfair practices that have wrongly targeted Caribbean jurisdictions as tax havens, occasioning the loss of long established correspendent relations in the US and Europe.

Sir Ronald Sanders, Chairing Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States

Sir Ronald recognised by Canadian University

Thursday 7 May 2015

TORONTO, Canada -- Antigua and Barbuda diplomat, writer and academic, Sir Ronald Sanders, has been elected as a Senior Fellow at Massey College in the University of Toronto. The announcement of his election was made by the Master of Massey College, Hugh Segal.

Sir Ronald Sanders

He joins leading Canadian academics and captains of industry in the inter-disciplinary activities of Massey College, including governance, diplomacy, business and international affairs.

Sir Ronald now has the distinction of concurrently being a Senior Fellow at two Universities in different Commonwealth countries. Guyana-born Sanders is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London, England.

Last October, his work as an advocate for Caribbean and Commonwealth causes was recognised by the University of the West Indies when he was accorded the honour of Doctor of Letters (D. Litt) by the University’s Senate and Council.

Sir Ronald has had a career as a senior diplomat and business executive. He has held many elected international and Caribbean positions, including as a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO and Chairman of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.

Having also served the 53-nation Commonwealth in many capacities, he is now a nominee for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General.

Sir Ronald Sanders is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States and the Organisation of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the
University of London and University of Toronto.

Welcome

Welcome to this website. I have created it in response to many requests for access to commentaries I have written, lectures I have given and interviews that have been broadcast or printed in the media on matters related to the political economy of the Caribbean and the Commonwealth.

These requests have come from university students, publications, academics, government officials and business people in many parts of the world. In the course of responding to these requests, I have been pleased to build up a network of global contacts who now receive my commentaries weekly.

From a career that encompassed broadcast and print journalism, development and commercial banking, diplomacy and international negotiations in both the public and private sectors, I am privileged to draw on wide and varied experiences to write, lecture and undertake consultancies. I have taken the greatest pleasure in receiving comments and criticism from people all over the world that the Internet has made a “village”. I have learned from many of the comments I received. They have caused me to reflect on my own thinking. Through this website, I hope to communicate regularly with all who write to me.

The website is now a permanent repository of the weekly commentaries going back several years. Anyone is free to access them here, and to cite them provided my permission is sought in advance through the “Contact me” mechanism. A few of the lectures I have given in Britain and in the Caribbean are also posted on the site in a PDF format which can be easily downloaded. Again, I would make the same request to seek my permission before citing the material.

From time to time, where it is possible, the site will also reflect consultancies that I undertake that may have an interested audience beyond the companies and organizations with which I work.

I invite responses to my writings, and inquiries about the experience and knowledge I can bring to achieving the objectives of companies and organizations that do business related to the Caribbean and the Commonwealth.

My consulting work includes: country investment advice; negotiations with governments and international organizations; structuring and implementing public affairs programmes; designing public relations and information strategies; negotiations with financial institutions and organizing and participating in seminars for interest groups such as journalists, diplomats, and specialized academics.